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No changes to the mechanicals.
According to a report on Autonetmagz, PT Honda Prospect Motor, the Indonesian subsidiary of Honda, has registered the Honda Brio RS name in the country, confirming its launch. Further, the document reveals that the Brio RS will continue with a 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine paired to a CVT.
The Brio RS gets similar styling tweaks as the Honda Mobilio RS. The front fascia sports new headlight clusters with integrated LED daytime running lights, projector headlights, a new black grille with a chrome highlight, an all-new front bumper with a honeycomb airdam structure, side skirts and larger, diamond-cut alloy wheels.
The Honda Brio RS could also get a chrome exhaust muffler, a sportier rear bumper, RS badges on the glass hatch-lid and a rear spoiler. Inside, expect the small car with an all-black interior and a touchscreen entertainment system.
As mentioned earlier, there will be no changes to the performance figures. The Brio RS will continue to be powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 88 PS and 109 Nm of torque. While Honda offers entry-level variants with a 5-speed manual transmission, the Brio RS will exclusively be sold with a CVT, the report states.
Also read: 2016 Honda Mobilio with all-new interior launched – Indonesia
Post its launch in Indonesia, Honda Cars India could offer the Brio RS as a variant extension in the country. The carmaker already offers the Honda Mobilio RS, which is priced between INR 11.23-11.92 lakhs, ex-Showroom, New Delhi.
[Source - Autonetmagz]


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Alderney's Little Ferry Company vessel Spike Islander will spend a week out of action after trouble with one of its engines was discovered.
One of the company's directors, Bruno Kay Mouat, said the Spike Islander was mobilised to Alderney earlier this year as a potential medivac vessel, so they didn't undertake all of the winter work that they had wanted to.
'An issue came up with one of the engines this week so we've decided to send her back to the Isle of Wight on the MV Trinity this morning. Then she'll be sailed up to Cowes tomorrow morning and taken out of the water. We'll be replacing an engine and doing some other maintenance work and putting her in good stead for the season, hopefully,' said Mr Kay Mouat.
He's reassured islanders there will be no disruption to the service.
'The timing's not brilliant because bookings are well up but we've been lucky enough to take on another charter vessel so the service will continue, albeit with another vessel. People can still book online with thelittleferry.com. Book up and go to Alderney - it's a great place!'

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It was bound to happen, with Sony’s recent success over the past month there was bound to be a P/R blunder or pot shot at one or both of the other companies. Phil Harrison, Sony’s president of worldwide studios, took the opportunity at the “Lunch with The Luminaries” at GDC to take some shots at the Wii reports Gamasutra.
While chatting with EA Blueprint’s Neil Young, Phil mentioned that making Wii games may not be as viable as third-party publisher think.
Mr. Harrison chalked this up to the fact that the games are competing with Nintendo first party games, labeling the Big N’s titles “unstoppable” (that’s quite a compliment there). Phil goes on saying: “Your addressable market is only 40% of the installed base.” I guess Phil wasn’t hip to the fact that EA has been doing pretty good on Nintendo’s console, which Neil Young was quick to remind the president of Sony’s worldwide affairs, pointing to their new title Smarty Pants, which Neil claims was “very easy to build very quickly.”
Mr. Young took it another step further by saying that developing Smarty Pants was “….fundamentally much more fun…almost like Xbox Live Arcaded [development] to some degree.” saying that he feels that’s where the strength of Nintendo’s system lies.
I would’ve loved to see the look on Phil’s face after hearing that. I mean considering that 40% of the Wii’s install base equates to just about the entire install base of the PS3, I’m actually curious to know what exactly he was trying to say or accomplish there?


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Google took one of the first stabs at the idea of smart-glasses back in 2013 with Google Glass, but the product never really took off. Now, the Amazon-backed startup North – until recently known as Thalmic Labs – is releasing their version of smart glasses with Focals. At $1000, Focals come in well under Google Glass’ introductory $1500 price-point, but will they have more success than the tech giant did?
North has raised around $140 million in funding from investors including Amazon Alexa Fund, Fidelity Investments, and First Round Capital, according to the company. With these investors, North has crafted a pair of slick, custom-built glasses with a display only you can see. And when we say custom: you have to have a scan done in one of their Brooklyn or Toronto showrooms in order to even order a set.
However, a trip to Brooklyn may be worth it if you’re always looking for the newest in cutting-edge technology. Reportedly, Focals keep you connected with friends and family throughout the day by giving you visual summaries (without completely obstructing your vision), displaying texts and emojis, and even a voice-to-text option. For those more interested in productivity than connect-ability, Focals also offer turn-by-turn intuitive navigation that even offers you the option of calling an Uber!
Aside from other classic capabilities like calendar and weather integrations, as an Amazon-backed startup North also has a bonus feature: Focals come with Alexa built-in. Control your smart home, play music, listen to the news – all from your… glasses?
North’s Focals are definitely an interesting concept, and once the showrooms open in November 2018 and glasses start arriving during the holiday season, they’ll certainly have a product to watch.
There are many new augmented reality devices coming to market over the next 6-18 months; The Magic Leap, a new hardware revision to the Microsoft Hololens, The Focal glasses. So far none have been able to penetrate the market more than garnering interest as a tech demo. We at Spitzer Tech will be interested to see if this new device can stir up more sales and adoption beyond the tech gadget community.


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The Irish company was snapped up by Spotify - but that's only the beginning of its ambitions
When news broke in January of this year that Soundwave, an Irish music discovery start-up, had been sold to music streaming giant Spotify for an undisclosed sum, co-founder Brendan O’Driscoll said that everyone was smiling by the time the deal was done.
Half a year on his team is now based in Spotify's Stockholm offices - while he splits his time between Sweden and California, he reflects on that time:
"Any process of that magnitude always has its highs and lows. We were in negotiations for two months and it definitely takes its toll emotionally. We’re just delighted to have gotten out the other side of it and to be really happy with the deal, and our investors are happy, and Spotify are happy," he told Newstalk.
He reflects that there was a big sigh of relief after the deal got over the line.
The company's app was built to allow users to see what their friends are listening to, to track listening trends, and to explore which music is popular in different areas by drawing circles around locations on maps while applying other filters.
For example, it allowed you to draw a circle around central Berlin and to apply to techno filter so see what tracks were a hit with German clubbers, or an indie rock filter around Sweden to discover new Scandinavian bands.
This kind of technology is highly sought after as competition hots up in the music streaming industry.
Apple and Tidal have now developed music apps which are very similar to Spotify on a surface level - but these companies are waging a war 'under the hood' to become the go-to service as the industry matures and more and more users sign-up for streaming apps.
O'Driscoll says that improving its music discovery functions will help to make Spotify a "stickier product" that will keep customers coming back to find new music:
"Trying to understand listening patterns has been important for not just Spotify as a streaming service - but for everybody. Before the acquisition, one of the main routes that we were exploring with Soundwave was whether the wider industry and labels and publishers or even consumer brands could take advantage of this understanding."
He describes the move to Spotify as "seamless" and adds that he feels that it offers, "all the positives of being in a bigger company but with less of the negatives."
Soundwave was set up in 2012 by Brendan O’Driscoll, Aidan Sliney and Craig Watson - it established offices in Rathmines, south Dublin, and gained the backing of one of the early NDRC Accelerator programmes.
O'Driscoll remembers that there was excitement in the air as he and his colleagues started their journey during the tail-end of Ireland's recession.
He thinks that the country has the infrastructure to continue to produce successful start-ups:
"There’s always more [that can be done] - but I think the level of support at the moment is good. We have guys like Enterprise Ireland who have great structural supports and mentorship programmes and funding programmes and export initiatives."
He remarked on how "a really good stage has been set now for people to build their own companies," in Ireland. The entrepreneur believes that as Dublin's start-up scene matures, more and more companies will stay here:
"We’re at the earlier stage in the life-cycle and we’re at a stage now where we are churning out a lot of early stage start-ups. Over time, as we create more and more companies, more and more will stick and become more successful and more will stay. It will just bolster the whole eco-system."
By 2014 the company was named as a finalist in EY's Entrepreneur of the Year's Emerging Category - and it attracted the backing of high-profile investor Mark Cuban and support from Apple's Eddy Cue, who oversees the iTunes Store and Apple Music.
Thank You, Soundwave - the person I met on the app is just awesome & makes my day even though I’ve never met her. https://t.co/ZOFtLUorTG— Soundwave (@soundwave) December 5, 2015
Soundwave got ahead by spotting the music industry's shift towards streaming, and the important role that breaking down user behaviour would play in this industry - but where does Brendan think that music is going next?
"I think we’re seeing fascinating developments in the last year or so. We are going to see more of a shift away from desktop and even away from mobile to hardware," he replied.
"Speakers in the home and in the car are going to be really interesting areas for music. I think how we interact with that hardware and those speakers is going to be via voice."
He adds that intelligent music software will continue to play a major role and that it will "build context awareness around various different moments in your like, whether it’s jogging with your phone, of driving in your car or chilling out at home."
When asked what the main objective for him and his team is right now, he says that it is the same that it was on day one, discovering "how to find the right music for the right person at the right time."


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03 Jan Amazon Sees Record Holiday Sales
Amazon announced a “record-breaking holiday season” with athleisure cited as a “top trend” and Nike, Adidas, Carhartt and Champion landing on its top-sellers list.
“This season was our best yet, and we look forward to continuing to bring our customers what they want, in ways most convenient for them in 2019. We are thrilled that in the U.S. alone, more than one billion items shipped for free this holiday with Prime,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer at Amazon. “Thank you to our employees all around the world who are committed to bringing our customers the widest selection of products with low prices and fast and free delivery options throughout the holidays and all year long.”
Top sellers among categories include:
Toys: The best-selling toys in the U.S. and worldwide included the L.O.L. Surprise! Glam Glitter Series Doll with 7 Surprises, Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster, Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Rainbow Mini Notes with Wooden Stylus, Crayola Inspiration Art Case, and LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs Toy.
Electronics: The best-selling electronics this holiday season included Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, the Samsung Flat 65″ 4K UHD 8 Series Smart LED TV, Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 32GB) in Space Gray, Wemo Mini Smart Plug, Blue Yeti USB Microphone in Blackout, Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera, and HP Sprocket Photo Paper.
Amazon Brands: Some of the best-selling products from Amazon brands in the U.S. included Amazon Essentials Men’s Long-Sleeve Plaid Flannel Shirts, Goodthreads Men’s Short-Sleeve Crewneck Cotton T-Shirts, Daily Ritual Women’s Skinny Stretch Jeggings, the Stone & Beam Ceramic Geometric Table Lamp, Pinzon Faux Fur Throw Blankets, AmazonBasics Multipurpose Scissors, Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, Presto! Toilet Paper, and Solimo Dark Roast Coffee K-Cup Pods.
Amazon Fashion: One of the most popular brands sold on Amazon during the holiday season was Carhartt, with over one million of its items ordered. Some of the most popular brands bought with Prime Wardrobe during the holiday season were Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual and Goodthreads, in addition to Calvin Klein, Champion, and UGG. As a top trend, athleisure was a holiday gifting favorite this season with a wide assortment available on Amazon from customer-loved brands including Champion, Alo Yoga, Nike, adidas and Monrow. Amazon Essentials and Simple Joys by Carter’s, along with adidas, Columbia, and Nike were some of the most selected fashion brands added to Amazon Wish Lists this holiday season.
Amazon’s statement also noted how customers purchased millions more Amazon Devices, including the all-new Echo Dot, this holiday season compared to last year; tens of millions of people worldwide started Prime free trials or began paid memberships; and that more than 50 percent of items sold in its platform this holiday season came from small and medium-sized businesses.


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Ballybrie production ends with Fivemiletown closure
Dale Farm’s decision to close Northern Irish speciality cheesemaker Fivemiletown has been slammed by the local union and lamented by the country’s artisan cheese sector.
The large dairy co-operative, which bought Co Tyrone-based Fivemiletown in 2014, plans to close the site this month when the lease comes up for renewal, arguing that production there was “no longer feasible”.
The company has offered Fivemiletown’s 18 staff transfers to other locations or redundancy packages, but union Unite described the decision as “a body-blow to the local agri-food economy” and “a blatant case of asset-stripping”.
Fivemiletown can trace its history back to 1898 and was one of the country’s first speciality cheesemakers, well-known for soft cheeses Ballybrie, Ballyblue and oak-smoked Ballyoak.
These products will all now be discontinued, with only goat’s cheese production moved to Dale Farm’s facility in Cullybackey, Co Antrim.
“It’s a real loss and is going to leave a gap in our counter,” said Mark Brown, owner of Belfast-based Arcadia Deli. “Ballybrie was one of our best sellers and we used it a lot for wedding towers.”
Northern Irish food writer Sam Butler described the closure as a “big blow” to Northern Ireland’s artisan cheese scene. “Fivemiletown made the first blue brie in Ireland and the first oaked brie in Europe. They were very innovative.”
Dale Farm saved the creamery in 2014 when it bought Fivemiletown’s brands from Glanbia Ingredients, after Glanbia acquired the cheeses along with the creamery’s milk supply from owners Fivemiletown & Brookeborough Co-operative.
This story appeared in the June issue of Fine Food Digest. You can read more on the digital edition here.
Read more of the latest news from Fine Food Digest here


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It’s not all bad news for the auto industry. The repair shops are booming with older vehicles needing work done to keep them on the road.
At Exhaust Pro the owner, Eddie Lynch, says business is steady, if not on the rise.
Lynch says the average vehicle coming into the garage is 8 to 12 years old.
He says people used to get rid of a car with 100,000 miles. Now, he does work on cars with 150 to 200,000 miles on a regular basis.
Older vehicles on Kentucky roads are also being noticed by the Fayette County Clerk. The office, which is normally busy transferring car titles, is not as busy as in years past.
County Clerk Don Blevins, says there were 10 percent more new cars on the road last year than there are today.
Photo by WKYT.com.


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Digital currency news 2017
In order to figure out which of them is headed for a repeat performance, we need to take a closer look at what each cryptocurrency brings to the table.The DCI was launched in July 2017 to serve as a benchmark for the Digital Currency Industry.
Fidelity allows clients to see digital currencies on itsThe entire point of blockchain is to connect people directly.Many bitcoin enthusiasts believe that the digital currency will create what amounts to a new gold standard.
Fanciful Bitcoin banknotes show how digital currency mightBurger King Russia is using a digital currency platform built by Waves for the.
News Blockchain News Bitcoin Price News Bitcoin Analysis Altcoin News Bitcoin.
Best Cryptocurrencies in 2017 | FintekNewsSuccess in investment vehicles with the best prospects for price appreciation can only be achieved through proper and rigorous research and analysis.There are dozens of different blockchain networks right now, but they all model themselves after the blockchain system that began with Bitcon.
The code was designed to unlock a finite amount of Bitcoin units at a predictable rate.June 12, 2017 6:24 pm. Email. Facebook. Twitter. a signal that the country may be interested in using digital currency to move its economy beyond gas and oil.
Here are three predictions for the second half of 2017 then:.
Bitcoin fork happens - Business Insider
Digital Currencies | Crush The StreetBitcoin vs Ethereum: The Best Digital Currencies for 2017 Buz Investors Best Digital Currencies Digital currencies have proved lucrative for tech-wise traders, but.The discussion of innovative investments brings me to Bitcoin, Ether and other digital currencies.
The entire structure of this platform was meant to facilitate applications that can be used in government, business, and management.Warning: Investing often involves high risks and you can lose a lot of money.Luckily, there are some aspects of Ethereum which are truly unique.Coinbase is a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency.
Digital currencies will be treated as real money in
People are going to be drawn to this model once they fully understand it.Digital currencies are becoming more valuable this year. Digital Currencies are On the Rise in 2017.Both the Ethereum value and the Bitcoin value have skyrocketed in recent years.
India to be 'disrupted' by AI, automation, digitalBTC Split: What Ethereum Hard Fork Says About Bitcoin Cash Price 2018 Tesla Stock in the Next Three Months Is in for Big Gains, No Matter What David Einhorn Says TSLA Stock: Is Google Waymo Bad News for Tesla.Whether the payment goes through a debit card, credit card, wire transfer, or e-transfer, there are banks involved in the transaction.
So long as investors, entrepreneurs, and corporations start using the platform, we can expect triple-digit or quadruple-digit growth in the Ethereum price.Two U.S. Senators Submit a Bill to Investigate Digital Currencies. as a monetary instrument in the 2017. At News.Bitcoin.com all comments containing.EconoTimes is a fast growing non-partisan source of news and intelligence on global economy and financial markets,. 2017. Digital Currency and Blockchain.In digital currency news, Bitcoin prices slumped after reaching all-time highs.
US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings.Please could you give me information on how to purchase Crypto currencies.
Based on smart contracts and the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), I believe that the Ethereum price is more promising than the Bitcoin price.It was groundbreaking for that reason, but also for envisioning a new financial order.
AP Explains: Threat of a Bitcoin Split Avoided, for NowThe Ethereum price will continue to climb as more companies and governments write smart contracts.
Latest digital currency News, Photos, Blogposts, Videos and Wallpapers.That leaves a lot of unexplored potential, from an investing perspective at least.
10 Warning Signs That Digital Currency is Replacing MoneyCoinbase and GDAX Will Add More Digital Currencies In 2017. to a digital currency. to digital currency platforms.The advent of smart contracts, in particular, could send this digital currency through the roof.The latest news, videos, and discussion topics on Digital Currencies.
Australia regulates digital currenciesThere is a brand-new entrant in the digital-currency universe, and it is modeled after bitcoin.The Virtual Currency Report provides news and analysis on legal. on a range of bitcoin and digital currency.
Now 2017 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to.First, we need to review both the history and potential of Bitcoin.All eyes were on bitcoin on Tuesday as the digital currency split in two.Ambitious entrepreneurs joined the Bitcoin community and started mining, launching Bitcoin exchanges, and adding vendors to the platform.Many people think the DAO will be the future of finance, erasing old mechanisms like the stock market or venture funds.
How to short bitcoin 2017 | Atm bitcoin machine | Can i buy bitcoin with paysafecard | Bitcoin mining fee time |


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Beyond Meat to manufacture in Europe31 May 2019
Beyond Meat has announced that it has expanded its partnership with Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat to produce the brand’s plant-based meats at a new manufacturing facility being constructed by Zandbergen in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands.
Upon completion of the facility, which is expected in the first quarter of 2020, the manufacturing partnership will mark Beyond Meat’s first production capability outside the United States.
Localized production is expected to reduce the brand’s transportation footprint, while increasing the speed with which Beyond Meat can get products to customers across Europe.“The consumer response in Europe has been very positive and we look forward to being able to better serve those customers with locally produced products. We are pleased to have strong strategic partners in Europe like Zandbergen to help us grow our global footprint,” said Seth Goldman, Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat.Last year, Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat started distributing Beyond Meat’s products throughout Europe across both foodservice and retail.“As the demand for plant-based products continues to expand in Europe, we are thrilled to be partnering with Beyond Meat to produce their innovative products outside the U.S.,” said Adriaan Figee, Chief Commercial Officer of Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat.Most recently, the Beyond Burger joined the meat case at Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, Delhaize in Belgium and Tesco in the UK. In addition to these retailers, Beyond Meat says it is focused on expanding availability across foodservice in Europe, targeting popular burgers chains and innovative restaurateurs looking to serve delicious, high-quality plant-based meat.
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COLUMBIA — Downtown Columbia business and property owners met three separate times Wednesday to discuss the proposed Downtown Columbia Community Improvement District, or CID.
The proposed CID would raise downtown sales tax by one half cent to provide funding for downtown improvements.
City services currently are funded by the downtown Special Business District, or SBD, which raises about $200,000 per year. This money is allocated to beautification, economic development and historic preservation.
The CID would replace the existing SBD, raising the sales tax but keeping property taxes the same for those in the district. The added sales tax would increase revenue for downtown improvements, generating $450,000 to $600,000.
This extra funding could provide new economic development programs, advanced marketing of downtown events, public relations to improve the regional image of downtown, street and landscaping enhancements, and city cleaning and maintenance. In addition, the district could fund more downtown ambassadors to aid the Columbia Police Department and the installation of security cameras.
“We need a more visible presence to make it a cleaner and safer downtown,” said Brad Segal, president of the Progressive Urban Management Associates hired to put together a CID plan for Columbia a year ago.
CIDs and similar programs are seen in many downtown areas in the state. In Columbia, some developments such as Columbia Mall and Walmart shopping centers already levy an extra half-cent sales tax because they are in transportation development districts.
“It’s very rare that you’re not at the same level as your competition,” Segal said.
Ray Suttles, general manager of the new downtown business Ingredient, who has experience with other shopping districts, said he was surprised that downtown has a lower sales tax than places like Columbia Mall. “We’re just raising it to what the outsiders are already doing,” Suttles said.
At the meetings, residential rental property owners were largely opposed to the establishment of the new sales-tax district, because their property tax would increase to the current SBD property tax if they are annexed into the CID.
Business and property owners also voiced concern that the proposed 10-year lifespan of the CID was too short. A suggestion to increase the length to 20 years to avoid repeating the process of approval carried more favor among the group. Instead of starting from scratch after 10 years, there would be a re-evaluation every five years.
The approval process includes three steps. The first is a petition that would require more than 50 percent of property owners signatures. Secondly, the district must then be approved by the City Council. Finally, if the council approves it, residents inside the proposed district then vote on the CID.


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The new store will open on Wednesday March 21 on the former Aldi store site in Church Street.
The opening hours will be 8am-9pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sundays.
More than 20 customer assistant jobs have been created and filled, including roles on the sales floor and cafe.
In December 2016, the retailer submitted an application to Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) to open a food hall at the site of the existing Aldi store in Walton.
Months later, in July 2017, M&S revealed its new Walton store was not set to open until 2018 .
Tracey Blandford, from the Walton-on-Thames Trading Alliance (WoTTA), previously said she was delighted by the news.
“Personally speaking, if the food hall came to Walton I’d be delighted. I don’t go over to the Brooklands Marks & Spencer so it would be very convenient," she said.
Councillor Andrew Kelly, for Walton North, echoed the sentiment, saying the new store is "great for Walton".
“From my point of view I am incredibly pleased that we’re getting an M&S. I’m a great fan,” he said.
Keep up to date with the latest news from around the county via the free Get Surrey app.
You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.


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Wal-Mart CIO: Companies Encouraged to Overdesign RFID Implementations
Wal-Mart CIO Linda Dillman said today that many companies are "being encouraged to overdesign" their RFID projects.
Nov 15, 2004—This article was originally published by RFID Update.
November 15, 2004—Speaking today at the Fall 2004 CIO Summit in Boca Raton, Florida, Wal-Mart CIO Linda Dillman said that many companies are "being encouraged to overdesign" their RFID projects. She compared the installation of Wal-Mart's industry-leading RFID implementation to setting up a network, saying, "We didn't have to change our legacy systems; we didn't have to build a new data warehouse." They simply made sure to immediately dispose of the excess, unnecessary data generated by the tagged goods. Dillman also cited some surprises that the new supply chain visibility has yielded, including the popularity of wrinkle and scar reduction creams as shoplifting targets. Such information represents precisely the unquantifiable, unforeseeable benefit that many have predicted will be revealed only after RFID has been incorporated in a supply chain.
Read the article at FCW.com
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It looks like Square Enix is bolstering its commitment to blockchain gaming. On September 11th, the organization announced that it had agreed to a partnership with Oasys in a deal that will see Square Enix become a node validator on the Oasys blockchain. This project is part of an effort to build an “environmentally friendly, proof of stake” blockchain.
Node validators store copies of blockchains while also performing other functions to keep the system secure. Oasys said that it plans on launching its platform later this year with 21 node validators at first with more to be added over time.
“We are excited to join the Oasys team and others in the gaming community on this project,” said Yosuke Saito, the Director of Square Enix’s Blockchain Entertainment Division. “Our shared enthusiasm for Web3 gaming makes this an exciting partnership for us and we look forward to gaining insights that can advance the creation of all-new gameplay experiences for gamers across the globe.”
Square Enix has shown its commitment to the exploration of the blockchain gaming space. Back in April, the organization launched its own blockchain entertainment business division.
(All information was provided by Gamesindustry.biz, VentureBeat, and Yahoo!)
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PayPal has secured a license to provide digital payment services in China, after obtaining Beijing’s approval for its acquisition of a majority stake in a Chinese payments company.
The People’s Bank of China has approved PayPal Information Technologies’s purchase of a 70% equity stake in Guofubao Information Technology Co. (GoPay), a holder of a payment business license in China.
Subject to customary closing conditions, the transaction is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
PayPal president and CEO Dan Schulman said: “We are honored to become the first foreign payment platform to be licensed to provide online payment services in China.
“We look forward to partnering with China’s financial institutions and technology platforms, providing a more comprehensive set of payment solutions to businesses and consumers, both in China and globally.”
PayPal’s open digital payments platform allows its 286 million active account holders to connect and transact in new ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person.
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Available in over 200 markets globally, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo, Xoom and iZettle, allows consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies. It also enables them withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies.
In June this year, PayPal invested in open banking platform Tink to continue its expansion across Europe.
PayPal has agreed to leverage Tink’s account aggregation technology to enhance product experiences for its customers.


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Indian cryptocurrency exchange Unocoin is reportedly setting up with the methods of combating the ban enforced by the Reserve Bank of India. It is already known that all the governmental and financial institutions have been advised to prohibit cryptocurrency transactions. However, the government emphasis on the technological advancement for the new age development. They seem less interested in the know-how of crypto trade.
Unocoin, on the other hand, is trying to deal with all the bank transaction-related processes for avoiding exchange disputes. According to the official press release of RBI it is stated that cryptocurrency raises concerns about security. It is further mentioned that the crypto assets can also give rise to problems like money laundering and market integrity. However, they do not deny their underlying potential to improvise the efficiency of the finance system.
As mentioned by BC Focus, the RBI has over and over again cautioned the customers and traders about the associated risks. So as to avoid any major issues of security and risks the governing body has decided to not to deal with any cryptocurrency exchange and transaction. They also provided time duration for the investors to move out from the crypto trade.
How Is Unocoin Assisting Its Customers In The Hour Of Ban?
Unocoin founder member and CEO, Sathvik Vishwanath stated that the trade prices have steeped low after the ban. But the Indian crypto market will overcome if given an alternate solution. The companies have already notified their clients about the ban and the possible freezing of transaction.
On the contrary, their team is working in order to assist the customers in methods for withdrawals and deposits. Their exchange is still operating within legal policies, but there is panic in the market with no certainty on the ban and its time frame. Indian cryptocurrency exchange company Unocoin is also one of the members of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI).
[The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or the official policy of the website. ]


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CHICAGO — The Austin neighborhood is often referred to as a food desert. However, big changes are on the way as one local business owner has dedicated her work to bringing economic opportunity, appreciation and fresh produce to the West Side community.
Business owner Liz Abunaw exudes excitement when she talks about the possibilites in the neighborhood.
“Austin has parks, beautiful architecture in terms of the homes, it has great access to transportation,” she said.
With all the possibilities, Abunaw said there are still some deficiencies. The West Side neighborhood has struggled for years to keep a grocery store and businesses are drying up as well. Abunaw said it was something that hit the first time she stumbled into the area in 2016.
“I didn’t realize I was going to the Austin neighborhood when I went there,” she said. “So I hop off the 66 bus and I realize I need cash and couldn’t find a bank, or a pharmacy or a grocery store.
Orignally from upstate New York, Abunaw said the stark contrast in Austin compared to other thriving Chicago neighborhoods stayed with her.
“It was that experience of being on a major commercial corridor in Chicago in a predominately Black neighborhood and not having easy access to what I think should be basic goods and services that people need on a daily basis that just opened my eyes and exposed me to the deep inequality in Chicago,” she said.
That experience was enough for her to invest in the community and open her first fresh grocery pop up market called Forty Acres. The name is a reference to the unfulfilled order by General William T. Sherman’s promise to distribute land to African Americans after the Civil War along the southeast coast.
“When I was coming up with a name for the business I wanted something that was distinctly Black American, something that spoke to our heritage and culture and fresh food,” she said.
Offering a mix of fresh fruit and vegetables the market was a success. When the pandemic hit, she turned to boosting delivery service with pre-selected boxes of produce. She said that on a daily basis, they carry anywhere from 60 to 80 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables.
In spite of the pandemic, Abunaw is dedicated to making Austin a community just like any other. Partnering with the Westside Health Authority, a community development corporation, a former Salvation Army site on Chicago Avenue will soon be home to Forty Acres grocery store. It is currently under renovation.
“Austin deserves more, Austin deserves true investment and they deserve beautiful architecture and a place where they can come into shop and have the experience of grocery shopping,” Abunaw said.
The grocery store is a for-profit business and she hopes it will spur economic growth and employment.
“I didn’t see a neighborhood that need saving or people that needed me to rescue them, I saw people that were underserved in their market and who are customers that need to be valued,” she said.
“She’s about helping people and creating opportunity for people. So she took a chance and saw an opportunity and she did it,” Darren Cox, an employee, said.
“Austin is a great neighborhood,” Abunaw said. “Does it have its challenges? Yes, but when you look past those challenges, it has good bones. There is tons of opportunity there and that’s what I saw.
Liz Abunaw is one of Chicago’s Very Own.
The new forty acres grocery store is slated to open in the beginning of 2022.


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As the hordes head to the Internet to purchase gifts for the holiday season, there are two things that Google has discovered about them by looking at recent search trends. First, they are shopping much more actively on mobile than ever before (shopping and buying, not just searching for goods). Second, there are more people shopping for holiday gifts online right now than the entire holiday period last year.
Read MoreBreathe in, pause, breathe out, repeatWatch this 300-pound robot balance like Karate Kid
Throughout his talk at the EmTech MIT conference today, Boston Dynamics chief executive Marc Raibert carefully avoided mentioning the robotic-elephant in the room — Google, which just so happens to own his company.
Astro Teller, chief—no, Captain of Moonshots—at Google's secretive skunkworks shared some behind-the-scenes info about the Google's incubation zone for Really Crazy Ideas. It makes sense for Google to host X: big ideas come with big payoffs, he said in a conversation with Jason Pontin, editor in chief at MIT Technology Review, at the publication's annual EmTech MIT conference.
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Survey on business innovation: UK findings
To find out more about companies that use physics innovation in their work, the IOP commissioned CBI Economics to undertake a survey of physics-based businesses. Here we outline the key findings and you can download the final report.
Innovation is central to the biggest challenges that our economy and society are facing, from climate change to recovering from the global pandemic, and to creating a robust and agile economy that works for everyone and is fit for future generations.
To grow innovation, we first need to understand the current landscape – the amount and type of physics-related innovation taking place, the challenges experienced by businesses, and where the opportunities lie to increase innovation activity and investment. To do this, the IOP commissioned CBI Economics to undertake a survey of physics-based businesses.
This analysis has found that physics-based businesses make a substantial contribution to the UK economy: enhancing productivity, boosting economic growth and increasing prosperity. However, they also face a number of challenges, which are inhibiting them to reach their full potential.
Analysis by CBI Economics has highlighted that physics-based firms are innovators by nature.
Across the UK, physics-based firms are actively investing in scientific discovery and technology, driven by the goal of developing new products or services and growing their businesses. Despite the disruption to research and development (R&D)/innovation activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, physics-based firms are looking to the future, with plans to increase investment in R&D/innovation in the five years ahead.
- 91% of physics innovators agreed that R&D/innovation is a strategic priority that is incorporated into their business plans.
- 63% of physics innovators expect their R&D/innovation spending to increase over the next five years relative to the previous five years.
What this means
Physics-based innovation is an important driver of economic recovery and integral to future prosperity. Physics-based businesses can accelerate progress towards the UK government's ambition to spend 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027 and increase prosperity.
With the right conditions in place, physics-based firms can play an even greater role in helping the UK and Irish governments achieve their R&D roadmap ambitions.
To complement the survey and to illustrate the type of companies we focused on, CBI Economics also spoke directly with a range of businesses whose innovation is underpinned by physics.
What is a physics-based business?
To determine what we mean by a ‘physics-based business’, we have developed a classification model which categorises standard industrial codes as high, medium and low physics intensity, based on companies’ publicly funded R&D activity.
Underpinning research: ERC report
The Enterprise Research Centre has analysed data from the UK Innovation Survey (UKIS), the Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) time series, and the Business Structure Database (BSD) to understand the profile of R&D and innovation across sectors that are involved with different levels of physics R&D, and how this compares to innovation activity in other sectors in the UK.
For more information, please contact Danielle Rawlings, Project Manager.


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Apple A6 SoC 'confirmed' to leverage 1GB of RAMSlides of Apple's A6 chip presented at the company's iPhone 5 debut event on Wednesday reveal the processor likely holds 1GB of RAM, double the amount found in the legacy iPhone 4 and 4S handsets.
As noted by AnandTech, the unobscured parts numbers seen on the chip point to a Samsung DRAM component which boasts 1GB of addressable RAM.
Apple's A6 processor with Samsung DRAM package part number highlighted. | Source: Apple
The part number emblazoned on the A6 is K3PE7E700F-XGC2 which, according to Samsung's 2012 product guide is a package-stacked DRAM module. This is in line with Apple's A-series SoCs, which implement a package-on-package design to save space.
Breaking down the part number, "K3P" points to a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32-bit channels, while the "E7E7" designation denotes the 512MB density of each DRAM die, which comes out to a total of 1GB of RAM. Finally, the "C2" yields the part's 1066MHz cycle time/data rate.
The publication notes the new package should give the A6 a 33 percent boost in peak memory bandwidth compared to the iPhone 4S.
It was recently speculated that the new A6 processor could hold the company's first custom-designed CPU core, a departure from previous A-series SoCs which relied solely on ARM's patented technology.
On Topic: General
- KGI: iPhone sales forecast at 73M for Q4 ahead of Apple Watch debut in March, 12" MacBook Air in Q1
- I Bet My Life: Microsoft HoloLens perfectly targets its core competency
- Huge crowds gather for Apple Store grnd opening in Hangzhou, China
- Apple features calligrapher who created Hangzhou Apple Store mural in 'About the Artist' video
- T-Mobile to extend smartphone financing to customers with bad or no credit


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The number of New Zealanders buying cups of coffee has levelled out in the past five years, a study by market research company Roy Morgan suggests, but Auckland baristas disagree.
Five years ago, 4 per cent more New Zealanders than Australians were buying takeaway coffee or tea.
"Australians were slower to embrace [the cafe culture] with quite the same zeal as New Zealanders," said Roy Morgan Research NZ general manager Pip Elliott.
However, over the past five years cafe visits in Australia had increased to match New Zealand.
"Growth across all age groups indicates that this may be a continuing trend, whereas the market in New Zealand seems to have plateaued.
"Now is the time for Kiwi cafe operators to up the ante and try to buck this trend - recognising which customers have the most potential for growth and targeting them with appropriate marketing," Ms Elliott said.
Auckland baristas disagreed with the survey's findings, and said cafe coffee drinking was more popular than ever with Kiwis.
Between January 2008 and December 2012, 19,640 people in Australia and 11,682 people in New Zealand were surveyed.
The research showed 56 per cent of Kiwis and Australians surveyed had bought a takeaway tea or coffee in the past three months. APNZ


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“Our company has had no business connections with North Korea for far more than 15 years now and strictly complies.”
The German-owned Daimler AG automotive company said this weekthat it had no idea how North Korea got their armored Mercedes limousines.
Daimler AG denied any dealings with the North Korean government, adding that they were suprised to see the nation’s leader, Kim Jung Un, using these vehicles.
“We have absolutely no idea how those vehicles were delivered to North Korea,” Daimler spokeswoman Silke Mockert said in a written response to an Associated Press report Wednesday on the limousines. “For Daimler, the correct export of products in conformance with the law is a fundamental principle of responsible entrepreneurial activity.”
“Our company has had no business connections with North Korea for far more than 15 years now and strictly complies with E.U. and U.S. embargoes,” she said. “To prevent deliveries to North Korea and to any of its embassies worldwide, Daimler has implemented a comprehensive export control process. Sales of vehicles by third parties, especially of used vehicles, are beyond our control and responsibility.”
The North Korean leader has often been pictured using Mercedes stretch limousines at a number of high-profile summits, including the latest meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kim has also been seen using the Mercedes stretch limousines in his previous meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, which has raised questions about the sanctions on North Korea.
The sale of luxury goods to North Korea is currently banned under the sanctions that were imposed by the United Nations; this includes stretch limousines.


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Li Xuhang (centre) rings the market opening bell to celebrate the listing of $300 million bond on Nasdaq Dubai on Tuesday. WAM
UAE China Tyre & Auto Parts Expo 2022 was inaugurated in Expo Centre Sharjah on Thursday to strengthen the ever-evolving trade and investment relations between the two countries.
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) signed an agreement with the Administrative Committee of Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone (BDIAEZ)
Abdullah Ahmad Al Saleh, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, held a bilateral meeting with Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy International Trade Representative
During COP28 in Dubai on Tuesday, global green energy giants Iberdrola and Masdar announced a €15 billion strategic partnership agreement to evaluate the joint development of offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in key markets including Germany, UK and the USA.
The 44th edition of Big 5 Global, the largest and most influential construction industry event in the Middle East Africa and South Asia opened in Dubai World Trade Centre. The event boasts a stronger and more impactful local and international support, with over 2,200 exhibitors from 60+ countries
Sustainable Trade Africa (STA) takes pride in successfully concluding its pivotal event, contributing significantly to the discourse on sustainable development within the African trade landscape during COP28. Under the theme “Transforming Africa Trade for Climate Resilience & Sustainable
The Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) continued to signal a rapid expansion in the non-oil private sector in November, despite evidence that price pressures accelerated to their highest in nearly one-and-a-half years. Reports of increased raw material prices fuelled a renewed uplift


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Ever since its launch in the autumn of 2020, Room Flip™ Dream House Design mobile game app has featured consistently, month upon month on the mobile app stores, with the latest being a worldwide feature on the Apple App Store.
Room Flip had first featured on December 11, 2020, on the Google Play Store just two months after its launch, and then again in the new year, following a very successful run of its very first content event update: a ‘Holiday Makeover in a Ski Chalet’ where players had to renovate a Ski Chalet set in Zermatt, amidst the Swiss Alps as part of a Christmas makeover request from an earlier client.
Not just that, Nukebox Studios kicked off the very first working day of the year with a very detailed and positive review by none other than Dean Takahashi — a tech-journalist for more than 28 years and lead writer for GamesBeat, VentureBeat on its latest blockbuster — Room Flip that currently enjoys a 1.2M plus download on Android and iOS combined.
The same month, Room Flip also clinched a top spot Google Play Store featuring in the ‘Made in India’ category, on Republic Day itself: January 26. April saw two top spot features both on Apple and Google Play Store, in the same week. On Google, it featured in the ‘New & Updated Games’ category, while on Apple it showcased in the ‘New Games We Love’ category. By this time, Room Flip was already running its second content event: a ‘Magical Wedding Makeover in Enchanting Marrakesh’. Players had to redecorate the Dreamy Moroccan Riad space and turn it into a wedding destination.
Room Flip again managed to score some brownie points on Google Play Store India when in May, it released special offers with up to 70% OFF on its in-app purchases exclusively for Indian players. The offer ran for a week from May 15 – 22, and the aim was to provide some respite (albeit in a small, virtual way) to players in the Indian subcontinent which saw a huge spike in Covid-19 cases.
It recently concluded its third event update: an ‘English Afternoon Tea Party’ in New Hampshire, and then a very exotic ‘Limoncello Fiesta’ in the Amalfi Coast location for players who’ve crossed level 1000 in puzzles. Not just monthly event updates, Room Flip has been releasing new puzzle levels with new mechanics like whack-a-mole, honeycomb, and so on alongside new episodes (rooms) with every release, every month for its existing player base who are ever so hungry for the ‘new stuff’ given their thoroughly enjoyable and fun experiences designing extraordinary spaces on this first-ever interior design TV show game that also offers them Avatar customizations options in a whopping 1.9M combinations.
With a major new feature like competitive ranking on designs with other players slated for the July release, along with the regular updates, one wouldn’t be surprised to see Room Flip ranking as one of the top casual games in the puzzle and interior designing genre.


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It’s November. Believe it or not, the holiday season is here. It will look different this year—as so many things have in 2020—but we will still find ways to celebrate. One of those ways will likely be connected to sending and receiving packages. Keep in mind that November and December have always seen a rise in stolen packages and this year will be no different in that regard.
There may be a silver lining to our current situation! This year more folks are at home and can collect their packages as they are delivered. For those times when you won’t be at home, check out this article to be reminded of a few ways to make sure your package is received.
And while we are on the topic of deliveries... be sure to share your holiday gratitude (and everyday gratitude honestly) for all the postal workers and delivery truck drivers that make those packages appear. Unquestionably they have made the last nine months more bearable and no doubt they will continue their steadfast service through the busy holiday season.


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A company that advertised it would analyze, file and promote inventions was the subject of a temporary restraining order thanks to a new Federal Trade Commission action filed in Florida federal court.
According to the agency, Scott Cooper and his companies, World Patent Marketing and Desa Industries Inc., deceived consumers with fake "success stories" and testimonials to induce them to pay thousands of dollars to patent and market their inventions. Potential customers were told they would need to purchase a "Global Invention Royalty Analysis" that the defendants claimed contained expert evaluations of the patentability and marketability of the invention, with a price tag of up to $1,295.
Once the analysis arrived, consumers faced another bill, the FTC alleged: this time for packages ranging from $7,995 to almost $65,000 for various services that would help them to earn money from their inventions and see their product sold at big-name retailers.
But after paying thousands of dollars for the defendants' services, consumers were strung along for months, even years, with many seeing nothing in return, the agency said. Those that did receive some marketing assistance received "low-effort, low-value" help, such as domain registrations, press releases, or logos. The defendants generally failed to obtain patents for consumers, secure licensing deals or royalty income, and did not even market the inventions featured in the website testimonials.
The defendants also used unfair tactics—including threats of criminal prosecution—to discourage consumers from publishing negative reviews of the company, the FTC said. One consumer who sought a refund and filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau received a threatening letter from the defendants' lawyer, stating that seeking a refund was extortion under Florida law and, "since you used email to make your threats, you would be subject to a federal extortion charge, which carries a term of imprisonment of up to two years and potential criminal fines."
The defendants filed at least one lawsuit to suppress consumer complaints, the FTC told the court, and used other threatening tactics that included a gag clause in its consumer contracts and a link that sent existing customers to a company blog post that claimed a consumer who visited the defendants' office was kicked out by the company's "intimidating security team, all ex-Israeli special ops and trained in Krav Maga, one of the most deadly of the martial arts."
A U.S. District Court Judge granted the agency's motion to halt the defendants' operations and freeze its assets pending litigation, in which the FTC seeks a permanent injunction against the allegedly illegal practices and the return of consumers' money.
To read the complaint and the TRO in FTC v. World Patent Marketing, Inc., click here.
Why it matters: "This case is about protecting innovators, the engine of a thriving economy," acting chair of the FTC, Maureen K. Ohlhausen said in a statement about the case. "The defendants promised to promote people's inventions and took thousands of dollars, but provided almost no service in return. Then they added insult to injury by threatening people who complained." The agency also reminded businesses that representations about patentability, marketability, or potential earnings are subject to the FTC's truth-in-advertising standards.


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● Thomas Cook crisis: 'People will not be stranded' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says that people will be taken care of if Thomas Cook collapses.
● Thomas Cook set for last-ditch rescue talks The tour operator will hold a crisis meeting with key players on Sunday in a bid to avoid insolvency.
● Give Thomas Cook 'real financial support', ministers urged Sources suggest ministers are reluctant to step in to stop the firm going into adminisitration.
● Sirius Minerals: The people who spent thousands on a Yorkshire mine Sirius Minerals has 85,000 small investors, but the company's troubles mean many are stuck in a hole.
● Huge rise in catalytic converter thefts The Met Police says catalytic converter thefts almost doubled due to precious metal prices rising.
● Walmart ceases e-cigarette sales The move comes amid mounting calls to ban the products, which have been linked to a deadly outbreak of lung illness.
● Brazil dam disaster firms to face criminal charges Police say mining giant Vale and German auditor Tüv Süd used falsified documents to certify the dam.
● Climate change: Offshore wind expands at record low price The UK announces projects to power seven million homes with wind power - and no need for subsidy.
● India delivers surprise corporate tax cuts to boost economy The surprise move is part of efforts to revive investment and spur growth in Asia's third largest economy.
● RBS names Alison Rose as its new chief executive The banking veteran will become the first woman to lead one of the UK's big four banks.
● Climate change: Firms make green energy vows as call for action grow Amazon and Google are among global firms setting out new green energy plans as climate pressure rises.
● Hinkley Point C: Building the UK's new 'epic' power plant Hinkley Point C, the UK's new nuclear power plant in Somerset, is due to open in 2025.
● New leather factory in Paisley to create 100 jobs Scottish Leather Group's new facility, opening in 2020, will produce high-end car seat upholstery.
● Why the Booker shortlist is taxing some readers Publishers say VAT charged on e-books and audiobooks unfairly pushes up prices for the partially sighted.
● How Scrabble became a million dollar idea. The BBC's Aaron Heslehurst explains how Scrabble became a million dollar idea.
● The work experience you can do in your pyjamas Big companies are offering internships via the internet, but are they a valuable experience?
● Why is the Fed pumping money into the banking system? The US central bank has pumped more than $200bn into the financial markets this week. Should we worry?
● Thomas Cook told extra funds needed to seal rescue The troubled travel firm must find £200m in extra contingency funds before banks will agree a deal.
● Airbnb plans to list shares next year The home rental site's floatation is expected to be one of the highest profile market debuts of 2020.
● Amazon's Jeff Bezos promises climate-change action The chief executive says Amazon will buy thousands of electric vehicles and become carbon neutral by 2040.
● Dirty crates and vans used to deliver food by Asda BBC investigation finds dirty crates and vans used by Asda to deliver food.
● Ryanair boss O'Leary's €99m pay sparks investor revolt Michael O'Leary's contract provoked a protest vote at the Irish airline's annual meeting.


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A reward of R200,000 is being offered for the safe return of stolen vintage cameras.
This comes after 50 vintage lenses and cameras were stolen from FotoConnect at Goodies for Gardens in Glen Marais during the early hours of Saturday morning, reports Kempton Express.
“We were notified by the owner of the shop next to ours that our doors were open,” said FotoConnect’s Willem Davel.
“She called us around 6am and we immediately went to the shop to find they had broken in.”
Cameras and lenses were not the only items stolen. Scanners and printers were also among the items reported to have been taken.
Capt Jethro Mtshali, spokesperson for Kempton Park SAPS, said: “The shop was broken into and goods such as computers, laptops, tablets, and an inverter welder machine were stolen.”
Davel said the value of the stolen items amounts to an estimated R150 000.
He also told Express the vintage cameras meant a lot to him and his family; some of the cameras date back to the 1930s and 1800s.
“What got me the most was my vintage camera collection that was in a custom-made glass and mirror display case that is part of the shop’s sales counter we designed and built ourselves,” he said.
“The cameras could be worth R20,000. All these cameras were family heirlooms so to us they are worth much more than just money, they have a deep sentimental value.”
Some of the cameras belonged to Davel’s father, his grandfather, and his wife Reinette’s father and it is for that reason they are offering a reward for the safe return of the cameras.
“We just want the cameras back. They mean more to us than quick cash. I will give R200,000 for the safe return of all my stolen vintage cameras. I want people to know about this so the criminals who did this can’t do anything with my cameras except return them.”
He said three clear fingerprints were taken from the countertop. According to a guard, the suspects were driving a Mercedes-Benz Vito.
Anyone who wishes to contact Davel can send a message to him on Facebook: Willem Davel.
Mtshali confirmed another shop at Goodies for Gardens was also broken into on the same day.
“Toys used to take videos and other toys were among the things stolen from Drone Masters Hobby Centre. The suspects are unknown and no arrests have been made,” explained Mtshali.
“Cases of business burglary are being investigated and we appeal to anyone with information to contact 08600 10111.”


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The US administration has postponed the stop to the TikTok app on September 27 after Oracle and Walmart have agreed to join the future company management reality in the United States under the name of TikTok Global.
The President of the United States, reports a joint note by Oracle and Walmart, announced that ByteDance has received provisional approval of an agreement with the US government to resolve outstanding issues, which will now include Oracle and Walmart,
As part of the agreement, in fact, TikTok is creating a new company called TikTok Global that will be responsible for providing all TikTok services to users in the United States and to most users in the rest of the world.
Of this reality Oracle becomes the cloud provider.
TikTok Global will be majority owned by American investors, including Oracle and Walmart, will be independent, based in the United States, with four Americans out of five members of the Board of Directors.
All technology will be in possession of TikTok Global and will comply with US privacy laws and regulations.
Data privacy for 100 million American TikTok users will be quickly established by moving all American data into Oracle Generation 2 Cloud data centers.
In addition to its share position, Walmart will bring its omnichannel retail capabilities, including its Walmart.com ecommerce.
TikTok Global will create more than 25,000 new jobs in the United States and TikTok Global will pay more than $5 billion in new taxes to the US Treasury.
TikTok Global, together with Oracle, SIG, General Atlantic, Sequoia, Walmart and Coatue, will create an educational initiative to develop and provide an online video curriculum based on artificial intelligence to teach children from urban centres to
TikTok Global will have an initial public offer within a year and will be listed on a US stock exchange. After the IPO, the US ownership of TikTok Global will increase and continue to grow over time.
Walmart’s comment points out that although there is still work to be done on the final agreements, we have provisionally agreed to purchase 7.5% of TikTok Global and to enter into trade agreements to provide our e-commerce services, fulfillments, payments Our CEO, Doug McMillon, would also be one of the five members of the newly created company’s board of directors. We will also work for an initial public offer of the company in the United States by next year to bring even more property to American citizens. The final transaction will have to be approved by the competent US government agencies.
And if the game for TikTok is defined in a positive way for the US government, the game for WeChat gets complicated.
California judge Laurel Beeler temporarily blocked the stop at WeChat because he violated the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment.
The injunction effectively suspends the order to Apple and Google to remove WeChat from their app stores.


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OAKHURST - A nascent Monmouth County coffee shop continues its meteoric growth with a new location and bottling operation.
Rook Coffee Roasters will open a second Oakhurst location in the Towne Shopping Center, at the corner of Route 35 and West Park Avenue.
Co-founder Holly Miglaccio said the new location, the company's fifth opening since being founded three years ago, will open in May and feature expanded parking and a roomier layout.
"There's 50-plus parking spaces, it is much larger, and you can easily access it coming from all directions," Miglaccio said. "We're working on opening locations and growing our stores."
The current Oakhurst store, situated in a small bungalow off of Monmouth Avenue, can be difficult to reach, said Migliaccio.
"Getting in has been an issue," she said. "We've had people tell us they turned around because they couldn't find parking."
Rook Coffee Roasters will discontinue counter service in its Ocean Township roastery at 1701 Valley Road. The extra space in that location will be used for a bottling plant.
"We're transitioning to a wholesale location," Migliaccio said. "We're going to wholesale our cold brew product."
The company will market the beverage, called New Orleans Cold Brew, through its stores and through a new partnership with Lighthouse Italian Ice.
"It is a product that is in high demand," Migliaccio said. "It is different than anything in any supermarket."
The company bottles a concentrate, which is then mixed with milk, cream or soy milk and sweetened for serving.
Rook Coffee Roasters was founded in 2010 by Migliaccio and partner Sean Kingley. The company has created a following by offering fresh fair-trade coffee, ground and brewed to order.
"It is a very fresh cup of coffee - you walk into one of our shops and you have this wonderful aroma," Migliaccio said. "It is kind of a ritual. People come to our shops for a great experience."
For Kingsley and Migliaccio, coffee is a passion - so much so that one of the pair regularly travels to central American farms to personally select the beans that go into their product.
In addition to the two Oakhurst stores and the Ocean roasters, the company has locations in Long Branch and Little Silver.


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South Korean fashion designer Andre Kim has died at the age of 75, his son said Friday.
The popular designer passed away late Thursday at the Seoul National University hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia, his son Kim Joong-Do told journalists.
Doctors were also treating him with an anti-cancer chemical after an operation for colon cancer in 2005, Kim said.
Billed as the country's fashion ambassador, Kim's shows were a fixture at key events in the region such as the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 and in Beijing in 2008.
A towering figure on the country's fashion scene, he also enjoyed wide popularity among the general public, with his eccentricities and drawn-out style of speech providing material for comedians.
He wore all-white outfits and put on layers of thick makeup, complete with black mascara caked over his hairless scalp.
Born to a farming family in 1935 in Seoul's northern suburbs, Kim burst onto the fashion scene in 1962 as the country's first male designer, at a time when fashion was still considered a women's job in South Korea.
Kim was presented with South Korea's Presidential Culture and Art Medal in 1977, the first of its kind for a designer.
Unmarried, Kim is survived by the son he adopted in 1982.Reuse content


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ADMINISTRATORS have been called to shoe retailer Barratts for the third time in four years after an investor withdrew financing for the business.
Philip Duffy and David Whitehouse (pictured), both partners at Duff & Phelps, were appointed joint administrators to the business which has 75 stores, 23 concessions and a workforce of about 1,035.
Duff & Phelps’ Philip Duffy said: “Difficult trading conditions in the sector led the directors to explore potential refinancing options and additional equity for the business. The company had recently received an offer from an investor to inject £5m into the company but that offer was withdrawn on the evening of the 7 November.
“In view of the financial position of the company and withdrawal of that equity offer the directors were left with no choice but to appoint administrators.”
The administrators said that although they are seeking to sell the business as a going concern, store closures or redundancies could not be ruled out.
Barratts first entered administration in 2009 with Deloitte partners, Neville Kahn, Lee Manning, and Daniel Butters appointed joint administrators.
Deloitte’s Kahn, Butters and Adrian Berry were called in as administrators again in December 2011.
At the time of the 2011 administration it had about 3,840 staff, 191 stores and 371 concessions which traded as either Barratts or Priceless Shoes.
The administrators sold the company to its existing management in 2012.
Top Ten firm Smith & Williamson have appointed Russel Cook as a director of its corporate finance team
Public opinion is split over whether Brexit will harm or improve the UK accountancy sector
The Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into the conduct of the Big Four firm in relation to its audit of BHS
Colin sums up some people's attitude towards the result of the EU referendum using just two cups


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Andrew Sabga – Chairman of CARIB Brewery and Sector Head – Beverages of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies (left) is all smiles as he and Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath – Minister of Trade and Industry talk with reporters at the CARIB Brewery Hospitality Suite, Champs Fleurs on Wednesday 24th July, 2013.
PHOTO: KEARRA GOPEE
Strict regulations in the United States Food Safety Modernisation Act should not be a deterrent to local exporters but instead be an incentive for them to improve their overall product, Andrew Sabga, chairman of Carib Brewery Ltd said yesterday. Sabga commented on the Act, which requires that exporters meet on specific standards before their products can be distributed in US market, during a news conference on the outcome of the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.
Trade Minister Vasant Bharath led a T&T delegation, including several local manufacturers at the event. Sabga said Carib Brewery had been exporting to the US, Canada and Europe for several decades and has met all standards required by those markets. “There are recent new standards that were implemented, particularly in the area of safety and security for food. We see that as another opportunity to raise our game, we don’t see it as a cost. It could actually become an excellent marketing tool which would give us an edge.
“Most of the standards have been met by us, we are actively pursuing the areas where we have fallen short and we hope to achieve those standards in the shortest possible time,” he said. Bharath said when ISO standards were introduced local businesses complied with the regulations because they wanted to continue to do business with companies who were ISO compliant.
“We understand it is the only way we can continue to participate in certain markets and we wish to do so. I don’t think it will be an issue for manufacturers who are serious and genuinely intent on, first of all, maintaining their export markets as well as those who want to grow their export markets,” he said. T&T companies at the Summer Fancy Food Show were: Angostura Ltd, Carib Brewery, KC Confectionery Ltd, Matouk International, Charles Candy, Smaks Luxury Group Ltd, Chief Brand Products and Vemco Ltd.
Published: Thursday 25th July, 2013
By: Nadaleen Singh


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A very different assassin.
Assassin’s Creed Origins may not even have been officially announced by Ubisoft yet, but thanks to a number of leaks in the past few weeks, we know a great deal about the game already. Most notably, we know that it is set in ancient Egypt, going the farthest back in time that the Assassin’s Creed series has ever gone.
Obviously, it promises to be a very different Assassin’s Creed game- that means that the protagonist is going to be quite different too. And as per another leak, it looks like that is exactly right.
A picture of a t-shirt provided to GameStop for retailer promotion and merchandising has been leaked, and it shows the protagonist of the game in full view. He can be see holding a bow and a shield, similar to earlier pictures that show him holding a shield and a spear. The picture also reveals his name- Ba Yek. You can take a look at the image below.
Ubisoft are bound to officially confirm a great deal if information on Assassin’s Creed: Origins at E3 next week, including the game’s release date, so stay tuned to GamingBolt for more updates.


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Whit Higgins has joined Sesame Workshop as VP of international media distribution and business development.
In his new role, Higgins will be responsible for the development and execution of international content distribution strategy for all Sesame Workshop properties, including Sesame Street. Higgins will also work to grow corporate partnerships across consumer products, sponsorships, live events, themed entertainment, and education.
“Whit has extensive experience developing and launching new IP-related businesses and product offerings internationally,” says Ed Wells, SVP and head of international media and education at Sesame Workshop. “We are producing a larger slate of content than ever before, featuring Sesame Street Muppets as well as all-new properties and characters. Whit’s expertise will enable us to optimize distribution of this content across all platforms, being everywhere kids are. We’re thrilled to have him join the team and to help Sesame Workshop achieve our mission of helping kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
Higgins comes to the company from National Geographic Partners, where he was responsible for expanding new business opportunities and helped to launch National Geographic Kids on linear TV.
Sesame Street continues its 50th-anniversary celebration this fall.


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There have been some big launches and announcements ranging from phones to laptops to DSLR cameras. ET Wealth rounds up the most interesting ones that are worth knowing about. These include the foldable laptop from Lenovo, Canon mid-range DSLR, OnePlus 7 Pro, Realme X and iFFalcon QLED AI-enabled TV.
1. Foldable laptop from Lenovo
Watch this space
While we are yet to have an actual working foldable smartphone available for end consumers, Lenovo has gone ahead and announced its foldable laptop. This laptop will feature a 13.3-inch OLED display with 2k resolution in a 4:3 aspect ratio. It will fold inwards to minimise damage when carried around.
A few other confirmed details are that it will be powered by an Intel processor, will come with a pressure sensitive stylus and a separate hardware keyboard, and that it will run Windows OS with some customisations. The laptop is likely to be launched next year.
2. Canon mid-range DSLR
Price: Rs 52,995 with 18-55mm lens kit
Canon wants to cash-in on the upcoming summer holidays with the launch of its new mid-range DSLR camera. The EOS 200D II is their most compact and lightweight DSLR without skipping out on features. It has a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, Digic 8 image processor, up to 5,12,000 ISO, dual pixel CMOS autofocus system, a continuous shoot speed of 5fps and supports 4k video recording. Even in its compact size, the camera comes with a rotating touch-screen, built-in WiFi plus Bluetooth connectivity and a battery life of 1,070 shots per charge.
3. OnePlus 7 Pro
Price: Rs 48,999 onwards
After weeks of leaks and rumours, OnePlus has finally launched its much-awaited flagship smartphone— OnePlus 7 Pro. It is the company’s first smartphone with a motorised pop-up camera and a triple rear camera setup. It has a 6.67-inch fluid amoled display without a notch, 2k screen resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.
Hardware includes top of the line Snapdragon 855 processor, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage and a 4,000mAh battery. The phone has an in-screen fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port, dual SIM slot and fast battery charge support.
4. Realme X becomes official
To be launched soon
Realme celebrated its first anniversary with the launch of their 10th smartphone, Realme X. With this phone, the company wants to bring innovative features at an aggressive price point. Realme X is company’s first device with a no-notch 6.53-inch amoled display with in-screen fingerprint scanner and a pop-up selfie camera. The phone is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 710 processor, 4/6/8GB RAM, 64/128GB storage and a 3,765mAh battery.
It features a dual rear camera—48MP f1.7 primary camera plus a 5MP depth sensor. The phone has USB Type-C port and comes with Vooc 3.0 fast charge support but skips on a microSD slot for storage expansion. It is expected to be launched in India next month.
5. iFFalcon QLED AIenabled TV
Price: Rs 99,999
iFFalcon has launched a new 65-inch TV with QLED technology in India. The TV has a 10-bit panel with HDR Pro support and 4k resolution and boasts of a 8.9mm slim design. QLED will deliver enhanced picture quality and for an immersive sound experience, it features a built-in Onkyo sound bar. The TV is also a Google certifi ed Android TV powered by quad core CPU and dual core GPU.
It is AI enabled, has Chromecast and supports various OTT apps such as Netfl ix, Hotstar, JioCinema, among others. The new device is exclusively available for sale on Flipkart.


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Has New York Fashion Week lost its way? Variations of this question have haunted many a critical take in recent seasons, and convinced more than a few major designers to decamp to Paris. (We miss you, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and Altuzarra!) Even last week, The New York Times’s Vanessa Friedman couldn’t help but call out the current state of East Coast fashion affairs as “increasingly barren and low-key”.
But for those willing to look, a defiant sense of optimism pervaded this N.Y.F.W.—at least if you searched beyond the runway. Out there on the margins, Fashion Week’s future seemed to be less about catwalks and front rows than cross-disciplinary imagination. After a week that has included fashion-centric film screenings, conferences, and superhero couture, are we catching the first promising glimpses of a post-Fashion Week Fashion Week?
“This whole Fashion Week, man, it’s too much,” said one friend to another, over dry-ice-infused cocktails at a bar glowing green in the Meatpacking district, as Rihanna blared.
“I know,” the other agreed. “I’d rather sleep!”
But clearly, the opportunity to toast Black Panther, just days before its much-anticipated release, was too much fun to pass up.
Inside Industria, where Marvel had invited designers like Chromat, Cushnie et Ochs, and Tome to debut original pieces inspired by the film, models stood on a raised platform showing off each look with ferocity while guests snapped photos, danced around the massive space, and, as at any Fashion Week party, people-watched.
For Walé Oyéjidé, designer and creative director of Ikiré Jones, whose designs also appear in Black Panther, the event was a way to use “fashion as a vehicle to actually, tangibly help people.” (The designs will be auctioned via Charitybuzz in support of Save the Children.) “If this became a normalized thing, if we always did this,” he said, “it would make [fashion] more inspiring and make the public at large that much more confident and interested in what and why we do what we do. It kind of justifies your million-dollar sneakers if a portion of it is actually helping to sustain the world around you. Honestly, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be at least a marginal portion of everybody’s business model.”
Becca McCharen of Chromat invited Tolu Aremu, a fellow designer on her team, to work with her on a look that combines African ankara fabric with tech materials like neoprene. “As soon as Becca approached me with the project—Black Panther, African superheroes—I was like ‘Whaaat?’ There’s nothing better than that!” Aremu told V.F. “I thought, ‘What’s an African superhero Chromat babe?’ And I immediately thought of my mother,” whom Aremu recalled seeing in traditional African garb as a kid.
The hybrid presentation-slash-party wasn’t just another way for Disney to build on the pre-existing buzz surrounding Black Panther. As Sophie Theallet told V.F., “This is a historical moment. I can’t imagine the joy of these little kids—that it’s the first time they’ll have a black superhero that looks like them.” She continued, “With fashion, you’re supposed to have a voice and to speak and to have integrity. It’s not just about making clothes . . . I’m interested in fashion with a voice and with a message—that’s what I stand for.”
One day earlier, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, fashion met film in a decidedly more old-school way, with a double feature of Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt and Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up at the Lower East Side’s hip revival house, the Metrograph. The event served as the centerpiece of Visionary Form, a weeks-long collaboration between the Metrograph and the fashion video network M2M that began in January—an effort to unite fashion and film, and bring the energy of N.Y.F.W. many crosstown blocks east of its usual stomping grounds.
“Film and fashion echo each other in the sense that they’re sort of a condensation of our daily lives,” Metrograph programmer Aliza Ma told Vanity Fair. “And they turn the things that happen during our lives into a narrative, a metaphor, an iconography.”
The afternoon-long event in the middle of N.Y.F.W. was an effort to allow fashion and film people to interact for more than a few minutes, an increasing rarity during one of the most over-scheduled weeks on fashion’s calendar. “Yes, [they] have the access,” M2M’s executive producer Susan Hootstein told V.F. “But are you really part of something? Or are you just peeking into it?”
Ma also hopes the series will be a more accessible entry point for anyone with an interest in fashion and film, whether or not they work in either industry. “Fashion Week, as an idea, has just been cheapened so much over the years. Now you have these giant companies buying out these huge venues and inviting everybody to these shows,” she said. “But it’s very easy to find other ways to activate interest around clothes, and film is one of the best ways to do it. It’s also more democratic. It’s not one of these fashion shows where you have to be invited, or a massive show at Madison Square Garden where you have to wait for hours and then it’s over in a flash.”
Throughout the afternoon, the Metrograph’s packed lobby buzzed with the same contagiously electric energy as any backstage area after a big-name designer’s show. But as the evening wound down, and guests continued their post-screening conversations in the upstairs eatery over prosecco and sliders, the leisurely mood felt worlds apart from the typical chaos of a N.Y.F.W. party. The Wolfpack director Crystal Moselle, whose narrative debut, Skate Kitchen, about a posse of female skateboarders, just premiered at Sundance, chilled in her pajamas at a corner table after attending Blow-Up, in no rush to be someplace else.
“In all honesty, I haven’t done anything for Fashion Week, but I used to work a lot in fashion.” (Moselle’s first job, pre-Wolfpack, was shooting backstage at Oscar de la Renta shows.) “It was so nice to come tonight, and see a film I adore that’s an inspiration for the work that I do. I’m naturally drawn to characters that have a really sick sense of style.”
On Wednesday, at the very start of Fashion Week, the Ace Hotel’s Liberty Hall had taken on a decidedly scholarly vibe. “It’s a study hall and we’re here to learn, so we must start on time,” Céline Semaan, the Lebanese-Canadian designer, activist, and founder of sustainable luxury fashion label Slow Factory told the packed room, as rowdy as a freshman seminar on the first day of the semester.
She added, kidding but not, “It’s high time for us geeks to take over the industry.”
The stunningly outfitted “students” in question—who ranged from lawyers to tech start-up employees to people working for brands like Marc Jacobs and Adidas—had gathered to take part in the inaugural Study Hall, a new conference series aimed to fill the void in fashion for candid public conversations about the industry.
“In tech, we have a lot of conferences that are offered to us, whose goal is to connect us with the community, inspire, and inform us of new frameworks and practices; in fashion, I felt that it was something that was missing,” Semaan, who has a background in technology, told V.F. “Transparency, openness, and education are not emphasized enough in the industry. I wanted to bring some of that geekiness into fashion, something that I felt was needed in order to innovate and evolve.” With this sold-out first installment, which boasted a 200-person-strong waiting list, the hunger for such an event was real.
On the docket at Study Hall was everything from a keynote address by former N.F.L. player and astronaut Leland Melvin (speaking in a bright blue NASA jumpsuit) to a discussion of the ruthless Instagram handle Diet Prada to an all-female panel devoted to defining sustainability in fashion. In that latter panel, Mara Hoffman, who in recent years has radically shifted her eponymous label to be more environmentally friendly, emphasized her hope for the fashion community at large. “In this movement, your goal is for everyone to be in this movement with you,” she said, as her fellow panelists vigorously nodded. “It’s about reaching down and lifting up.” Added Orsola de Castro, co-founder of the global movement Fashion Revolution, “We are bored of being hidden in our own little conversations.”
The Ace has sought out alternative programming opportunities during N.Y.F.W. since as early as 2013, when they hosted an event revealing a 3-D-printed gown designed by Michael Schmidt and Francis Bitonti and modeled by Dita Von Teese. “We’ve always tried to focus on programming that asks questions or is informative or educational,” Kelly Sawdon, partner and chief brand officer for Ace Hotel Group, told V.F. “It opens our guests’ eyes, and even our eyes, for that matter, to people who are pushing the boundaries, asking questions, evolving industries, and doing creative things that we find inspiring.”
Study Hall offered a rare sense of hopefulness for the next generation of fashion change-makers. “The fashion industry, as it is, is one of the most influential industries in the world,” Semaan said. “But we only talk about style or trends—we never talk about the stuff that’s behind all of these decisions.” That Wednesday, and during so many of the Fashion Week events that stretched boundaries, it felt like that conversation was finally getting started.


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NEW YORK — AT&T Inc. will stop letting new customers sign up for its unlimited Internet data plan for smart phones and iPads, hoping to ease congestion on its network by charging the people who use the most data more.
Current subscribers will be able to keep their $30-per-month unlimited plans, even if they renew their contracts. But starting Monday, new customers will have to choose one of two new data plans for all smart phones, including iPhones and BlackBerrys.
With the change, AT&T is adopting a carrot-and-stick approach to assuage the data congestion on its network, which has been a source of complaints, especially in cities such as New York and San Francisco that are thick with iPhone users.
Subscribers who use little data or learn to limit their consumption will pay slightly less every month than they do now, while heavy users will be dinged with extra consumption fees.
Analysts said they expect the move to be quickly followed by other phone companies, which should be eager to avoid the trap of unlimited-use data plans. With no caps on consumption, data use could swamp wireless networks while revenue for the operators remains flat.
“Clearly, the current unlimited data usage model in the U.S. market is not profitable in the long term,” said David Dixon at FBR Capital Markets.
One of the new AT&T plans will cost $25 per month and offer 2 gigabytes of data per month, which AT&T says will be enough for 98 percent of its smart phone customers. Additional gigabytes will cost $10 each.
A second plan will cost $15 per month for 200 megabytes of data, which AT&T says is enough for 65 percent of its smart phone customers. If they go over, they’ll pay another $15 for 200 megabytes.
Figuring out which one to choose may not be easy, given that many people have only a hazy notion of the size of a gigabyte and how many they use now. A gigabyte is enough for hundreds of e-mails and Web pages, but it’s quickly eaten up by Internet video and videoconferencing. The 200 megabytes offered under the $15 plan is enough for about 20 minutes of streaming video.


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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) outlined plans to launch mobile payments on its WhatsApp platform across several countries in 2019, despite the system remaining at the trial phase in its debut market of India.
The India trial is the company’s first attempt at offering peer-to-peer payments through WhatsApp, though Facebook offers a similar service on Messenger in the US.
During his F8 keynote, Zuckerberg said he was “really excited” about the payment part of “the vision” for Facebook.
He added enabling cash transfer was “one of the most important things we can do,” noting “I believe it should be as easy to send money to someone as it is to send a photo”.
On the India trial, he said the feedback had been positive without offering a launch date.
During the pilot phase a number of press reports have emerged stating a launch was imminent, but came to nothing. In the meantime several rivals have brought out similar services in what is already an extremely competitive market.
Zuckerberg’s strong words on the potential of payments over its platforms comes a month before the company is due to scrap cash transfers over Messenger in the UK and France, the only two countries outside of the US to have the service available.